PRAIRIE VIEW A&M 11, ALABAMA STATE 6
In a seventh inning rally by Prairie View A&M, Alabama State falls in the first round of the 2014 SWAC Championship Tournament at Wilson Morgan Park on Wednesday in Decatur, Ala. Alabama State allowed six runs, five hits and one error in the top of the seventh to give Prairie View an 11-6 final.
Taking a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first, Alabama State’s Tamara Williams got the first hit with a single to right field. On a wild pitch Williams moved to second, before Meagan Dixon drew a walk. Jazzmin Ramero singled to center field scoring Willaims and moving Dixon to third. With two outs Ramero stole base, prior to Kendall Core’s homerun giving her the sixth on the season, scoring Dixon and Ramero. Brittney Wilson ended the inning striking out.
Prairie View scored one run in the top of the second down 4-1. ASU was able to plate a run in the bottom of the third on a homerun by Dixon making this her 14th of the season. The fourth inning went scoreless for both teams.
The Lady Panthers added four more runs to give the game a 5-5 tie in the top of the fifth and ASU answered back with a run of their own taking a 6-5 lead to close out the inning.
The sixth inning went scoreless, with Alabama State still holding the lead over PV. The seventh saw Prairie View taking an 11-6 advantage and Alabama State not being able to answer back ending the game.
“We thought we had it in the bag and then we didn’t close the game out,” said Assistant Head Coach Alyssa Smoke. “We didn’t come out and play a 100 percent, and tomorrow is a new day, a new game, and we need to let go of everything and come out a play the game.”
Alabama State softball will return to action on Thursday, May 8 at 5 p.m. against the loser of game three between Texas Southern and Alcorn State.
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE 7, SOUTHERN 4
Tracey Williams picked the perfect time to record her first home run of the season.
The Mississippi Valley State sophomore from Yonkers, N.Y. stepped to the plate Wednesday and hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning that provided the spark for a 7-4 victory over Southern University in the opening round of the SWAC Softball Tournament at Wilson Morgan Park.
Williams’ home run tied the game at four in the top of the sixth inning and the Devilettes added three runs in the eighth inning to send the Jaguars into the loser’s bracket of the tournament.
MVSU (12-34) will now play either Jackson State or Grambling State on Thursday at 2:30 p.m.
After scoring one run in the first inning, Southern extended its lead to 4-0 after adding three additional runs in the fourth inning.
Valley got its first run of the game in the fifth inning on a RBI-double by Courtenay Brooks. Then, in the next inning, Williams delivered the biggest hit of her career with a three-run home run. MVSU had a chance to take the lead in the seventh inning but Brooks was called out at third base for leaving the base early.
The Devilettes closed out the game in the eighth inning with RBI-singles by Williams and Natalia Covarrubias. The final run came on a pop up by Brandi Williams.
Covarrubias, Brooks, Tracey Williams and Yasmin Battle all had two hits apiece for Valley, who had 10 in the game.
Tenna Patterson (8-14) gave up just one hit in four innings of action on the mound with four strikeouts to earn the win.
TEXAS SOUTHERN 10, ALCORN STATE 2
The Texas Southern Lady Tigers softball team got their chase for a SWAC Championship title underway on Wednesday evening with a dominating 10-2 victory over Alcorn State.
Thomasina Garza led the way driving in four runs while fellow teammate and SWAC Freshmen of the Year Krystalani Yockman tallied two RBI.
Madison Staton picked up the win inside the circle pitching six complete innings allowing just four hits and two earned runs.
Texas Southern will face Prairie View A&M in the next round of tournament action. The Lady Tigers swept the season series with PVAMU winning all three games on the road.
JACKSON STATE 10, GRAMBLING STATE 5
Courtesy: SWAC Sports Information Directors
